Performance Data a Milestone for Pacific Education

Publication of Performance Data a Milestone for Pacific Education

BEST Pacific Institute of Education (BEST) today congratulated the Government on its publication of performance indicators, which for the first time provide an accurate representation of student achievement across the entire tertiary sector.

“The published information will help the Government to direct resources where they are most effectively used, and this is good news for Pacific people” said BEST Director Anita Finnigan. “Quality information is essential, as the proportion of Pacific people in the working age population is expected to double by the year 2026. We have enjoyed working with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) over the past few months to ensure that the information presented is as accurate as possible,” Ms Finnigan said.

“The challenge of improving Pacific education performance can only be addressed with proper information about where Pacific students are studying, their rate of progression to higher level courses, and the providers that are helping Pacific students to achieve.

“Other studies have focused on the performance of Pasifika in universities, studying degree level qualifications. While achievement at this level is important, we need better information about the performance of providers and students at certificate and diploma level” Finnigan said. “The majority of Pacific students come to tertiary education with no formal qualifications, and must progress through lower levels of study in order to achieve success in higher education.”

The information published by the TEC shows that only six per cent of university students and eight per cent of polytechnic students are of Pacific ethnicity, whereas they make up 17 per cent of students at private tertiary providers. It also provides detailed information about each provider, and their contribution to Pacific education in New Zealand.

The TEC information confirms BEST’s ability to outperform other providers when it comes to delivering educational results for Pacific students. Pacific students studying at BEST had higher course and qualification completion rates than Pacific students studying at other PTEs and Polytechnics (see attached background sheet for details). Over 60 per cent of all Pasifika people in tertiary education study at a PTE or Polytechnic. BEST’s 1300-plus Pacific students make up over 28 per cent of all Pacific students in the PTE sub-sector.

The 2010-2015 Tertiary Education Strategy makes ‘increasing the number of Pasifika students achieving at higher levels’ a priority of the Government. Anita Finnigan stated that the scope and accuracy of the i
nformation gathered and published by the TEC provide a strong foundation for ensuring that the Government’s priority is achieved.

“I am proud that for over 20 years BEST has been focused on the same priorities that this Government is now focused on,” Ms Finnigan said. “Currently BEST is the number one provider to Pacific people when it comes to performance - out of over 1800 Equivalent Fulltime Students (EFTS), 73 per cent of our students are of Pacific descent, and they are achieving at level four and five, which means their qualifications are translating into jobs with promising career paths, and they are going on to higher study.

“The TEC’s initiative in publishing this information is a milestone that will help Pacific people in New Zealand achieve their full potential.”

ENDS